Association Between Maturity Status, Landing Force, and Jump Performance in Adolescent Male Soccer Players.

Background: Maturity status varies among adolescents of the same age, making age an unreliable indicator. Although maturity status affects movement patterns, differences in landing force and jump performance among maturity groups remain unclear.

Hypothesis/purpose: This study compared landing force and jump performance during drop vertical jump in adolescent male soccer players based on classifications by maturity status and age. A hypothesis was formulated that landing force would be greater during the period of peak height velocity (PHV) and jump performance higher in the post-PHV group, showing clearer differences than age.

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Forty-five male soccer players (13.5 ± 0.9 years) were grouped by maturity status (pre-, circa-, and post-PHV), and by age. Landing forces (peak vertical ground reaction force [PVGRF], time to PVGRF, and loading rate) and jump performance (jump height, contact time, reactive strength index [RSI], PVGRF, and power) were measured using a force plate. A one-way analysis of variance was performed to detect group differences.

Results: Landing forces showed no significant differences among maturity groups (PVGRF: p = 0.190; time to PVGRF: p = 0.122; and loading rate: p = 0.255). Jump height was greater in post-PHV (32.87 ± 4.18 cm) than in pre-PHV (25.17 ± 4.85 cm, p = 0.001). RSI was higher in post- (1.33 ± 0.31 m/s) than in pre- (1.00 ± 0.29 m/s, p = 0.024) and circa-PHV groups (1.02 ± 0.23 m/s, p = 0.021). Power was greater in post- (40.40 ± 6.31 W/kg) than in pre- (33.15 ± 7.78 W/kg, p = 0.045) and circa-PHV groups (33.59 ± 5.50 W/kg, p = 0.037). Age-related differences were found only in jump height (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Maturity status classification detected significant group differences in jump height, RSI, and power, but age classification only detected a significant group difference in jump height.

Level of evidence: 3.